At the dedication of Holladay Properties' Darby Row project Thursday, representatives released plans for another brand new housing development on Notre Dame Avenue to open for the 2013-2014 school year.
The Thursday afternoon ceremony formally dedicated the building and announced its opening, though tenants have lived there since June. Drew Mitchell, project manager for Darby Row, said the other purpose was to announce the new project called The Belfry.
"The Belfry is going to be similar to Darby Row, with 36 student bedrooms on the same block of Notre Dame Avenue, within walking distance to campus," Mitchell said. "Because of the leasing success we had at Darby Row, we decided to replicate the living situations for our new project."
Darby Row, which has 35 student bedrooms, is already 90 percent leased out for the 2013-2014 year, with a waiting list for the townhouses Mitchell said is "wildly popular."
"Darby Row truly set a new standard for student housing in the area, in terms of amendments and living situation," Mitchell said. "The tenant mix is very interesting, with undergraduate students, graduate students, and some graduate student families. We deliberately kept the size down to less than 40 tenants to keep the tight community feel."
Mitchell said The Belfry's name connects to the historical traditions surrounding campus - the building will be located at the corner of Notre Dame Avenue and Campeau Street after Campeau is extended as part of a local construction project. Campeau Street was named for Gregory Campeau, who built the first bell tower at the University of Notre Dame.
"Belfry is the dictionary term for a bell tower, and so to incorporate this bell concept, we acquired two 350-pound church bells that have been in New Orleans for the past 180 years which we'll use on either side of the building's façade," Mitchell said. "The Belfry will be located at approximately 740 Notre Dame Avenue, on the location of the old Club 23 building."
Mitchell said Holladay Properties plans to deliver a project quite similar to Darby Row, with 18 two-bedroom units in a variety of configurations.
"Each unit will average 500 square feet or more per bedroom and is fully furnished, with bedroom and living room sets as well as 50-inch flat screen TVs and private bathrooms in each bedroom," Mitchell said. "There will be granite countertops throughout each unit, and everything will be wireless internet ready."
Mitchell said the convenience factor makes The Belfry and Darby Row projects very attractive to students, with units within walking distance to campus and also located on the Transpo bus route. Rent Like A Champion Today handles Darby Row's marketing and will also handle The Belfry's.
Mitchell said the students previously on the waitlist for Darby Row townhouses have been shifted to The Belfry, and the company will begin signing leases for the new development today. Construction on the project will begin next month, and The Belfry will open June 1, 2013. Mitchell directed students interested in learning more about the Notre Dame Avenue housing projects to the Rent Like A Champion Today website.
We hired Rent Like A Champion Today to assist with the marketing efforts for Darby Row and the Belfry, especially reaching students," Mitchell said.
Mike Doyle, chief executive officer of Rent Like A Champion Today and a 2012 Notre Dame graduate, said a group of Notre Dame alumni founded his company to develop the neighborhoods around campus.
"We are proud to partner with Holladay Properties to help with the marketing of both Darby Row and The Belfry to the students of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's, and Holy Cross," Doyle said. "There is truly nothing else like these projects in terms of quality, and we are happy to be able to provide these housing options to students."
Mitchell said he agreed with Doyle's sentiment, praising the quality and pricing of the units.
"As a double-Domer myself, I'm just trying to deliver the type of product that I wish had been here when I was at school," Mitchell said. "This project is doing great things for the neighborhood - it's got the Notre Dame Avenue marquis address, and there is no one else in the market delivering products as nice as this at rates as competitive as ours."
Contact Ann Marie Jakubowski at ajakubo1@nd.edu
